The Anantnag bypoll was to be held on 12 April, but was put off following the Srinagar bypoll on 9 April, which saw 8 people killed and just 7 per cent turnout.
The Election Commission of India has stepped up its efforts to hold a parliamentary bypoll in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, before snow locks down the valley.
ThePrint has learnt that the Election Commission (EC) wrote to the J&K government last week, seeking a report on the security situation in the state, and whether it is now conducive to holding the bypoll. If the government responds in the affirmative, the commission wants the election to be held before 15 November; otherwise, the heavy winter snow will not let it take place before March 2018.
The bypoll was necessitated because sitting MP Mehbooba Mufti resigned to take over as chief minister of the state last year. The election was originally scheduled to be held on 12 April, but was put off owing to the unrest in the state, which took a violent turn in the Srinagar by-election on 9 April. Only 7 per cent voters turned out for that poll, and eight people were killed in poll-related violence.
The EC usually does not seek reports from an election-bound state on bypoll schedules, unless a security concern is involved.
Spate of violent incidents
There has been a spate of violent incidents in the state since April, and after the experience of the Srinagar bypoll, it was felt that the scenario was not conducive to a peaceful election with a healthy voter turnout.
The turnout in Srinagar hit a low that was last seen during the peak militancy period in the late 1980, and given that Anantnag is generally considered a sensitive constituency with a history of militancy, the 12 April bypoll was postponed.
In a video conference meeting, the J&K government had also advised the EC against holding the election in Anantnag in April, saying the situation was “not conducive to holding free and fair elections”. It had recommended that the poll date be deferred, and had expressed apprehensions that there may be “violent attempts by some miscreant elements to thwart the polling process”.
In view of the state government’s report, as well as inputs received from the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, the EC moved the bypoll to 25 May, and then postponed it indefinitely, as the security situation did not improve.